Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...
Share Embed Flag
Download ePaper

Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ... Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

library.whnlive.com
from library.whnlive.com More from this publisher
12.07.2015 Views

482In past hearings we have concentrated on the multiple problems ofthe heroin supply and efforts to halt heroin smuggling and vre havebeen told, 3^ou recall, that onh^ about 20 percent of the heroin smuggledinto this country is seized in spite of all the efforts of our Governmentofficials. We have also concentrated on curbing the availabilityof materials used to dilute and package heroin, what we call paraphernalia,and we have introduced legislation for a model law on thatsubject in the District of Columbia, and we are bringing such legislationas we propose to the attention of the attorneys general of theseveral States in the Union.In this week's hearings, we have been inquiring into what scientistshave been doing to combat addiction, and what the}' could do if theyhad more funds. We have examined in depth the use of methadone asa maintenance drug, and the majorit}" of the testimony we havereceived clearly indicates that it can be effective in reducing crimeand helping an addict to lead a more normal life.'' •t-But as Dr. Bertram Brown, Director of the National Institute ofMental Health, told us yesterday, it is valuable treatment only for,perhaps, one-fourth to one-third of the addict population. Clearly,then, we must find some way of treating the majority' of addicts whoare not, in Dr. Brown's estimate, amenable to methadone maintenancetreatment.Yesterday we had testimony that less than 35,000 people out ofan estimated 250,000 heroin addicts in the United States are beingtreated by methadone and only a few hundred, or a few thousand, arebeing treated by other drugs. So, you see that even the drugs that wehave are not being made available to more than a very small percentageout of an addict population of 250,000. So, you can see the magnitudeof the problem with which we have to deal.It also seems clear to me that not enough money is being spent tofind treatment modalities that will be effective for those addicts notamenable to treatment with methadone. I certainly commend thePresident on his proposed program to make an effective attack uponthis heroin problem, but with all respect, it is my opinion that if weare going to do it, it has to be done on a large scale. I hope the attackwill not be a piddling one or will be so relatively insignificant thatwe have not come anjrwhere near adequately to grips with the magnitufleof the problem.Dr. Brown told us that the state of our knowledge of addiction andmeans of curing it must still be called primitive. Now, he is talkingabout the United States of America. I think we have the greatestvolume of scientific know-how and the greatest wealth of an}- nationin the world, and yet the top official in this field described what wehave accomplished and done so far as primitive.This is no reflection, of course, on the ability of the dedicated menworking in this field, but rather a result of the inadequate funding,and Congress must bear its share of responsibility, and lack of urgencyattached to the problem in the past by all branches of the Government.We can no longer afford to seek remedies to this scourge upon ourNation using primitive methods and scant resources. We have theability to develop highly soi)histicated techniques to combat drugaddiction, but the main obstacle standing in the way of that sophisticationis inadequate funding.If drug abuse costs the Nation $3^ to $4 billion a year, surely weought to spend more than the $17.7 million a year that we are now

483spending for research through NIMH. It seems to me that a majorinvestment in research that will produce effective drugs to combataddiction and mtII yield dividends far in excess of the investment.If, for example, Congress were to direct NIMH to conduct a crashresearch program funded at a billion dollais a year to find a drug thatwould immunize a person against addiction, we could probabh" findthis drug within a few years. And if we did it, we could reduce crimein the United States, including homicide, according to the evidencewe have, by 50 percent. And if we did, then the almost $4 billion aj^ear we now spend in direct and indirect costs might become an itemof the past.To show you the economy of this research, Dr. Dole, as has beenpointed out here, testified before our committee in New York, thathe developed methadone on a financial shoestring, and yet it is thebest drug we have, the only relatively effective drug we have today.You see what an enormous profit we have obtained upon that meagerfinancial investment.It seems to me that both economics and human decency dictate anational commitment to finding a cure for addiction.Today we are going to hear about some of the drugs now being usedon an experimental basis by scientists not associated with the FederalGovernment. We want them to tell us of their successes, and how wecan help them m their important and lifesaving work.Our first witness today is Dr. Julian E. Villarreal, associate professorin pharmacology at the University of Michigan Medical School.Dr. Villarreal holds a bachelor of science degree and a doctor ofmedicine degree from National University in Mexico City, Mexico,and a Ph. D. in pharniacology from the University of Michigan.Dr. Villarreal has authored or coauthored over a score of articleson narcotics and synthetic analgesics. He is a member of the AmericanAcademy of Clinical Toxicology and its Committee on Drug Dependence;the Society for Neuroscience; and the Society for BehavioralPharmacology.Dr. VillaiTeal is m charge of the University of Michigan's programfor testing new^ morphinelike compounds, which is sponsored by theDrug Dependence Committee of the National Research Council. Heis an expert on laboratory research, on analgesics, and narcoticantagonists.Dr. VillaiTcal, we are very much jileased to have you ^\ith us todayand will listen with great interest to your description of your im.portantwork.Chau-man Pepper. Mr. Perito, will you inquu-e?Mr. Perito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.Dr. VillaiTeal, would j^ou care to proceed? I understand you have astatement; is that coirect?STATEMENT OF DR. JULIAN E. VILLAEREAL, ASSOCIATE PROFES-SOR OF PHARMACOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICALSCHOOLDr. Villarreal. Yes.Mr. Perito. Would you prefer to read your prepared statementand use your slides in conjunction with it?

483spending for <strong>research</strong> through NIMH. It seems to me that a majorinvestment in <strong>research</strong> that will produce effective drugs to combataddiction <strong>and</strong> mtII yield dividends far in excess of the investment.If, for example, Congress were to direct NIMH to conduct a crash<strong>research</strong> program funded at a billion dollais a year to find a drug thatwould immunize a person against addiction, we could probabh" findthis drug within a few years. And if we did it, we could reduce crimein the United States, including homicide, according to the evidencewe have, by 50 percent. And if we did, then the almost $4 billion aj^ear we now spend in direct <strong>and</strong> indirect costs might become an itemof the past.To show you the economy of this <strong>research</strong>, Dr. Dole, as has beenpointed out here, testified before our committee in New York, thathe developed methadone on a financial shoestring, <strong>and</strong> yet it is thebest drug we have, the only relatively effective drug we have today.You see what an enormous profit we have obtained upon that meagerfinancial investment.It seems to me that both economics <strong>and</strong> human decency dictate anational commitment to finding a cure for addiction.Today we are going to hear about some of the drugs now being usedon an experimental basis by scientists not associated with the FederalGovernment. We want them to tell us of their successes, <strong>and</strong> how wecan help them m their important <strong>and</strong> lifesaving work.Our first witness today is Dr. Julian E. Villarreal, associate professorin pharmacology at the University of Michigan Medical School.Dr. Villarreal holds a bachelor of science degree <strong>and</strong> a doctor ofmedicine degree from National University in Mexico City, Mexico,<strong>and</strong> a Ph. D. in pharniacology from the University of Michigan.Dr. Villarreal has authored or coauthored over a score of articleson narcotics <strong>and</strong> synthetic analgesics. He is a member of the AmericanAcademy of Clinical Toxicology <strong>and</strong> its Committee on Drug Dependence;the Society for Neuroscience; <strong>and</strong> the Society for BehavioralPharmacology.Dr. VillaiTeal is m charge of the University of Michigan's programfor testing new^ morphinelike compounds, which is sponsored by theDrug Dependence Committee of the National Research Council. Heis an expert on laboratory <strong>research</strong>, on analgesics, <strong>and</strong> narcoticantagonists.Dr. VillaiTcal, we are very much jileased to have you ^\ith us today<strong>and</strong> will listen with great interest to your description of your im.portantwork.Chau-man Pepper. Mr. Perito, will you inquu-e?Mr. Perito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.Dr. VillaiTeal, would j^ou care to proceed? I underst<strong>and</strong> you have astatement; is that coirect?STATEMENT OF DR. JULIAN E. VILLAEREAL, ASSOCIATE PROFES-SOR OF PHARMACOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICALSCHOOLDr. Villarreal. Yes.Mr. Perito. Would you prefer to read your prepared statement<strong>and</strong> use your slides in conjunction with it?

logo

products

Resources

Company

Terms of service
Privacy policy
Cookie policy
Cookie settings
Imprint
Change language
Made with love in Switzerland
© 2024 Yumpu.com all rights reserved

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!